Winter Storm Preps

Extreme weather is always a concern for Pacific Power... but with a storm like this, packing heavy winds... crews had a lot of work to do Tuesday. "Our biggest concern is trees, it's the number 1 source of outages we face." And for that very reason Pacific Power crews spending the day trimming trees... before Mother Nature does the work for them... knocking out power in the process. "That's why we have people on board, on standby with a quick crew response and if we need help we can get it from other districts." Monte Mendenhall says Pacific Power works with the National Weather Service... so they're expecting powerful winds from the east side of the cascades to the coast... but that's not all. "Snow levels on the valley floor, of course you're concerned about trees and we're gonna have some pretty heavy winds as well." Mendenhall says with any powerful storm outages will occur... but by trimming trees they hope for fewer. "This is where it really pays off when you have a storm like this." But Pacific Power's preparations aren't limited to trees. "Our business center has people available 24-7." And they're getting ready. "Make sure vehicles are fueled up, materials are on supply and that someone is on standby." To make sure you and your family are safe as you ride out this winter storm. Also of note - Pacific Power says its best to put together an outage kit.... including bottled water--ready to eat foods--battery operated radio, flashlights, blankets and a first aid kit.

About the Author

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Craig graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California with a degree in Recreation Administration and Sports Management.

Since joining NBC5 News in 2005, Craig has performed virtually every job in the newsroom: News and Sports Reporter, Sports Anchor, Producer, series and segment Host and Anchor of NBC5 News at Sunrise and NBC5 News at 5. He became News Director in January, 2014.

When he's not managing a busy newsroom, Craig spends time with his wife, two young sons and two dogs. He is a dedicated fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Portland Trailblazers and loves snow boarding the slopes of Mt. Ashland.